How moms shape the world | Anna Malaika Tubbs (re-release)

Summary

Podcast Summary: How Moms Shape the World | Anna Malaika Tubbs (TED Talks Daily, Re-release)

Date: May 6, 2026
Host: Elise Hu
Guest Speaker: Anna Malaika Tubbs
Original Talk: TEDWomen 2021 (Originally published January 2022)

---

Episode Overview

This TED Talks Daily episode, hosted by Elise Hu, centers on Anna Malaika Tubbs’ powerful re-examination of how society tells— or neglects— the stories of mothers, especially mothers of color. Tubbs, a sociologist and author, argues that the cultural erasure of mothers’ narratives has reverberating consequences: it shapes not only how mothers are valued at home and work but also how policies affecting them are formed and whether appropriate support systems exist. Focusing on the often-overlooked mothers of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin, Tubbs illuminates their lives as activists, scholars, and leaders— long before their sons became icons— and calls for a cultural and policy shift toward recognizing and supporting motherhood.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Narrative Gap: How We (Don’t) Talk About Mothers

[04:28-06:50]

• Anna remarks on the annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday while ignoring the presence and story of his mother, Alberta King.
• Motherhood stories are systematically erased or minimized (e.g., at MLK’s Atlanta birthplace, focus is always on MLK Jr. and his father with little mention of Alberta King, even though the home first belonged to her).
• Moltherhood is stereotyped in binary ways: mothers are either belittled for staying at home or forced to hide their status to be seen as professionally competent.
• Cultural narratives dictate policy and support structures— or their absence— for mothers.

Notable Quote:

“If the stories we told of mothers reflected their presence, their importance, their power, their influence, their wholeness, and their humanity, then it would be easier for everyone to appreciate their roles and back them with the support that they deserve.” – Anna Malaika Tubbs [00:59]

2. Consequences of Misrepresentation and Erasure

[06:50–08:35]

• Tubbs draws a direct line from narrative erasure to real-world consequences:
  • Lack of universal parental leave,
  • absence of affordable childcare,
  • a maternal mortality crisis in the U.S.,
  • mothers forced to drop out of the workforce (e.g., during the pandemic).
• These issues disproportionately impact mothers of color.

Notable Quote:

“If the stories we tell... deem mothers as unimportant, as unworthy of being seen and considered, then these opinions will be reflected in the way that mothers are treated in our country.” — Anna Malaika Tubbs [05:27]

3. Centering Real Lives: The Untold Stories of Three Mothers

[08:36–13:41]

A. Alberta King (Mother of MLK Jr.)

• Early activist and NAACP member; passionate about social justice and education.
• Earned a teaching certificate and bachelor's, but barred from teaching after marriage due to discriminatory laws.
• Organized and led within her community, but was not protected by the same social and legal systems she supported.
• Died tragically, having never received the acknowledgment or protection commensurate with her contributions.

B. Louise Little (Mother of Malcolm X)

• Raised with strong ideals of Black pride and self-determination.
• Migrated alone at 17 to spread Pan-African messages and became a Marcus Garvey movement leader.
• After her husband's murder, denied support and faced harmful intervention by the state:
  • Wrongly institutionalized as "demented" for reporting racial discrimination.
  • Separated from her children, who were all sent to foster homes.

C. Bertis Baldwin (Mother of James Baldwin)

• Lost her mother early; became a beacon of hope and healing through her writings.
• Came to Harlem as a teenager during the Renaissance; mothered nine children (including James).
• Endured domestic abuse and economic hardship, working as a domestic while raising her family.
• After her husband's death, raised her children as a single mother amid systemic neglect.

Notable Moment:

“These stories are not a part of ancient history, nor should they be seen as separate of other mothers simply because their sons became famous. They are representative of mothers’ experiences, especially black mothers who to this day are disrespected, denied paid leave, pushed out of their jobs...” — Anna Malaika Tubbs [13:17]

4. Society’s Loss and the Path Forward

[13:42–16:49]

• Tubbs poses a critical question: Would the world be different today if we had honored these stories all along?
• Calls for societal and cultural changes:
  • Stop thanking mothers merely for their selflessness; instead, recognize their leadership, care, and teaching.
  • Rethink how mothers are depicted in workplaces and media.
  • Advocate for better policies: paid leave, childcare, healthcare equity, and even guaranteed income.

Notable Quote:

“If the stories we told of mothers reflected their presence, their importance, their power, their influence, their wholeness and their humanity, then it would be easier for everyone to appreciate their roles and back them with the support that they deserve. So let’s act now.” – Anna Malaika Tubbs [15:00]

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “As if somehow MLK Jr. birthed himself.” — Anna Malaika Tubbs [00:26, 04:28]
• “Mothers are used to being seen as selfless beings without needs for others to consider.“ — Anna Malaika Tubbs [04:49]
• “Because our retelling of events doesn’t feature the many acts of mothering...” — Anna Malaika Tubbs [04:57]
• “Such tragedies have a ripple effect that also hurts our children, our communities, even our national economy.” — Anna Malaika Tubbs [06:34]
• “We can change the narrative. And when we do, the world will be a much better and equitable place for us all.” — Anna Malaika Tubbs [16:45]

---

Key Timestamps

• 00:04–01:21: Host intro and episode theme
• 04:28–06:50: The problem—erasure of mothers' stories and societal consequences
• 06:51–08:35: Policy impacts and cultural misrepresentation
• 08:36–11:34: Life and legacy of Alberta King
• 11:35–12:55: Life and legacy of Louise Little
• 12:56–13:41: Life and legacy of Bertis Baldwin
• 13:42–16:49: Call to action, reimagining mothers’ roles in narrative, media, and policy

---

Conclusion

In this compelling talk, Anna Malaika Tubbs argues that the way society tells (or fails to tell) the stories of mothers—especially Black mothers—has lasting ramifications on policy, workplace norms, and national well-being. By recounting the overlooked lives of Alberta King, Louise Little, and Bertis Baldwin, Tubbs urges listeners to recognize and support mothers as multifaceted leaders, central to shaping culture and progress. The episode is a clear call to change both our stories and our systems—ensuring mothers get the credit, dignity, and support they truly deserve.

Transcript

[A]

You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. I have three daughters and a mom who is alive and well. So with Mother's Day just a few days away here in the U.S. maybe it's no surprise we keep coming back to the same question. How well do we actually tell the stories of mothers?

[B]

Every year around January 15th, mother the world rightfully celebrates the birth of the great Martin Luther King Jr. Yet virtually no one has stopped to consider who else was in that room that day in 1929, as if somehow MLK Jr birthed himself.

[A]

In this talk, sociologist and author Anna Maleka Tubbs makes the case that the way we tell or don't tell the stories of moms has consequences far beyond hurt feelings. It shows up in policy, or the lack of it.

[B]

If the stories we told of mothers reflected their presence, their importance, their power, their influence, their wholeness, and their humanity, then it would be easier for everyone to appreciate their roles and back them with the support that they deserve.

[A]

Anna traces the remarkable lives of three women many people have never heard of Alberta King, Louise Little and Bertis Baldwin, the mothers of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and James Baldwin. Three women who were activists, scholars and leaders in their own right long before their sons became icons, and whose stories quietly reshaped the ones we thought we already knew. That's coming up right after a short break. This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire can cost you time, money and momentum. A good hire? They can help grow your business. But finding great talent isn't easy, especially when you don't have the time or resources to sift through piles of resumes to find the right fit. That's why LinkedIn built Hiring Pro, your new hiring partner that screens candidates for you. So instead of sorting through applications, you spend your time talking to candidates who are actually a good fit. We With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence, knowing you're getting the best talent for your business. In fact, according to LinkedIn, those hiring with LinkedIn are 24% less likely to need to reopen a role within 12 months compared to the leading competitor. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for [e-mail] TEDTalk terms and conditions apply. This episode is brought to you by Planet Visionaries, a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative. If you've been feeling overwhelmed by climate headlines lately, here's something worth your time a show focused on solutions. It's called Planet Visionaries, hosted by Alex Honnold. Yes, the climber from Free Solo, who recently completed an impressive skyscraper climb in Taipei, now turning his attention to protecting the only planet we've got. What makes this show stand out is the people you'll hear from scientists, explorers and storytellers who are actually building a better future and making it feel tangible, human and possible. One conversation features coral restoration leader Tituan Bernacote along with legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle, sharing what it really takes to restore our oceans. In partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, this is Planet Visionaries. Listen or watch on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you're listening to this podcast. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Health AI Let me ask you something. Why does getting care so often start with paperwork forms that ask for the same information over and over as if your story has to be retold from scratch every time? We've come to accept that friction as part of the process. But it doesn't have to be. Amazon Health AI is built to change that. It can understand your health history so you can spend less time repeating yourself and more time actually getting the care you need. Amazon Health AI Healthcare just got less painful. And now our TED Talk of the

[B]

Day every year around January 15, the world rightfully celebrates the birth of the great Martin Luther King Jr. Yet virtually no one has stopped to consider who else was in that room that day in 1929. As if somehow MLK Jr birthed himself. I toured the location where he was born, a charming, quaint two story home in Atlanta. And while it was an honor to even be there, I left feeling frustrated by the tour guide script. Of course, MLK Jr. Was the center of most of the tales, and then came stories about his father, the inspiring Reverend Martin Luther King Sr. But what frustrated me was the lack of attention being paid to his mother, Alberta Christine Williams King, even though this was actually her childhood home first and the home where she later birthed her children in a room on the second floor. This erasure doesn't only concern Alberta. Mothers in the US Are often misrepresented or completely left out in the stories we tell. Mothers are used to being seen as selfless beings without needs for others to consider. They're used to feeling belittled if they stay at home with their children because the narrative says it's unproductive. Or they might even hide the fact that they have children at work so that they're still taken seriously rather than seen as distracted, and they will not receive credit for the accomplishments of the loved ones they have supported day in and day out. Because our retelling of events doesn't feature the many acts of mothering. Beyond such instances being frustrating, I believe they lead to a lack of understanding of surrounding the critical roles mothers play in our society, and they contribute to a lack of support for mothers. If the stories we tell, both on an interpersonal level as well as in literature and in media, deem mothers as unimportant, as unworthy of being seen and considered, then these opinions will be reflected in the way that mothers are treated in our country. It is not a surprise then that in the US we have yet to establish universal parental leave, universal quality, affordable child care, that we are experiencing a maternal mortality crisis, and that many mothers had no other choice but to leave the workforce as a result of of the pandemic. Such tragedies have a ripple effect that also hurts our children, our communities, even our national economy. As a writer and sociologist, I believe that storytelling plays a necessary role in fixing our current trajectory. That through the intentional centering of mothers, we can not only make life better for them, we can actually make life better for everyone. The way to get organizations and our government to give mothers the resources that they desperately need and deserve is to first shift our perspective of motherhood on a cultural level. I am on a mission for that shift to happen in my lifetime, especially especially for mothers of color who have historically received the least resources. I have spent the last several years studying three women in particular, whose life stories show, number one, just how easily we disregard mothers, and number two, how a lack of consideration for their needs and their contributions leads to a lack of intervention and support. While it may be too late to help the three of them, I believe their life stories provide guidance on how we can make the world better for moms and everyone they impact today. So let's first go back to Alberta King. Alberta was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1903 to the leaders of Ebenezer Baptist Church. Even as a young girl, she was an activist. She participated in marches and in boycotts and she even joined her parents as some of the very first members of the naacp. She believed that Christian faith must always be intertwined with social justice and she used her education to advance freedom causes. Alberta grew up to be a talented organizer and a musician as well as a mother of three. Before meeting her husband Alberto was on her path to becoming an educator. She earned a teaching certificate and a bachelor's degree. But because the law stated that married women could not teach, she was forced to walk away from a formal career. She still did everything she could to provide for, educate and protect her family and her community members. But that same care and shielding was not afforded to her in return. Her life was tragically taken when she was shot in the back as she played the church organ. The second story begins in La Dig, Grenada, at the very end of the 19th century. A little girl is influenced by her grandparents to always stand for black pride and black independence by any means necessary. At the young age of 17, she travels to Montreal, Canada, on her own to spread the message of black liberation. And she joins the Marcus Garvey Pan African movement. This is just a brief introduction to Louise Langdon Little, a multilingual scholar and activist who also brought eight children into the world, one of whom was named Malcolm Little. Originally, he later became known to the world as Malcolm X. When Louise's husband was murdered and she was widowed when she was Only in her 30s, white welfare workers started showing up and entering her home, questioning the way that she was raising her children. A white male physician was sent to evaluate her, and he concluded that she was experiencing dementia, citing that she was, quote, imagining being discriminated against. As a result, she was institutionalized against her will. For around 24, five years, each of her children were taken from her and they were placed into separate foster homes. The final story starts in the small town of Deal Island, Maryland, in 1902. A little girl's life begins in tragedy when she loses her own mother. But through this moment of darkness, she becomes somebody fixated on light and on love. A talented writer, she uses her prose to inspire those around her to let go of their own pain and their hatred. As a teenager, she travels to New York in search of a new start, and she arrives in the middle of the Harlem Renaissance. This is just a brief introduction to Bertis Jones Baldwin. A mother of nine, her firstborn was originally named James Arthur Jones. He later became known to the world as James Baldwin. At times, Burtis had no other choice but to leave her children at home to make money as a domestic worker. She was also the victim of an abusive husband. For years, without resources other than police officers who were better known for harassing her community, she endured the pain on her own. When her husband passed, and she too was only in her 30s, she proudly raised her nine children as a single mother. These stories are not a part of ancient history, nor should they be seen as separate of other mothers simply because their sons became famous. They are representative of mothers experiences, especially black mothers who to this day are disrespected, denied paid leave, pushed out of their jobs, facing biases in health care systems, are victims of abuse, are mistreated and belittled, and who are being forgotten and erased. Would the world be different today if we'd been telling their stories all along? I believe so. If the stories we told of mothers reflected their presence, their importance, their power, their influence, their wholeness and their humanity, then it would be easier for everyone to appreciate their roles and back them with the support that they deserve. So let's act now. How about we stop thanking mothers for being selfless and putting their needs behind everyone else's. And instead. Instead we thank them for being our first leaders, caretakers and teachers. What if we asked how we could support them in return? Yeah. What if we celebrated stay at home moms as the essential members of our society that they are, rather than belittling their role? What if employers and colleagues recognized mothering as the ultimate test of multitasking, organization and empathy. And highlighted the importance of keeping mothers on their teams? And what if we produced more stories, books, TV shows, movies that represented mothers accurately? Could we convince more people of the need for parental leave, affordable child care, unbiased health care systems, maybe even a guaranteed income? I think we can all agree mothers are essential. Mothers are powerful. Mothers have their own needs and their own identities. Mothers deserve support. It is time our stories and our policies reflect this. We can change the narrative. And when we do, the world will be a much better and equitable place for us all. Thank you.

[A]

That was Anna Malaika tubbs @ted women 2021. This talk was originally published in January 2022. If you're curious about Ted's curation, find out [e-mail] curationguidelines and that's it for today. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This talk was fact checked by the TED research team and produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Greene, Lucy Little and Tansika Sangmarni Vong. This episode was mixed by Christopher Faizy Bogan. Additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Balarazo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed. Thanks for listening.

[C]

Hey honey, it's Mom. Did you know if we switch to Verizon, we can get four phones for $0 plus four lines for dollar a line. Call me back. Me again. That's just a hundred dollars a month for four lines on unlimited welcome. Plus four phones. No trade in needed. Call me it's mom. America's best network Verizon. That's the one we're talking about.

[D]

I'll send you text America's best network based on root metrics Best overall Mobile Network Performance US 2nd half 20254 new lines and a limited welcome and auto pay. See verizon.com for details. With no fees or minimums on checking accounts, it's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking. With Capital One, if he he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends it's pretty much all he talks about. In a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com bank capital1NA member FDIC

[B]

hey,

[E]

it's Paige Desorva from Giggly Squad. Okay, wait, have you ever had one of those moments where you're like I should be doing something fun tonight and then you just don't because you don't have what you need? Because same. But recently I've been trying to be more of a yes person. And honestly, Amazon prime has been enabling that energy. Like the other night I randomly decided I was going to host a last minute girls night. No planning, no groceries, nothing. And instead of spiraling, I just ordered everything I needed and got it that day. Snacks, drinks, even like random hosting things I absolutely didn't need. But emotionally I did. And suddenly it went from maybe next time to yes. And tonight, that's what I love. Prime Same day delivery makes it so you can say yes before the moment slips away. Because let's be real, the only thing worse than a bad plan is a plan you never make happen.

[B]

Same day delivery. It's on Prime. Available in select areas.

[A]

Terms apply.

[B]

So if you're trying to be more spontaneous or just less chaotic, go to

[A]

Amazon.com prime to find millions of items delivered fast.